


Ill-advised Promise

by YappiChick



Category: Halo
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Flirting, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-04
Updated: 2013-08-04
Packaged: 2017-12-22 10:58:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/912392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YappiChick/pseuds/YappiChick
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Chief faces his most cunning opponent yet: a determined Cortana.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ill-advised Promise

**Author's Note:**

> This fic came from me joking with FantasticJackie about doing a rewrite of the TNG episode, "The Naked Now", in the Halo universe. I don't think it's ever going to come into fruition because my muse has been elusive at best, but she finally came around to writing the scene that was the only one that really mattered to me.
> 
> So, in a nutshell, Cortana's human-ish, an infection that is like the one that was on the SS Tsiolkovsky (i.e. makes you drunk as a skunk), has taken over the Infinity. There really is a plot in the full outline, but this is just 100% pure UST-y goodness.

“Chief, I need to talk to you now.” Cortana stepped onto the bridge and gave Roland a pointed look. “Privately.”

The gold-hued AI held up his hands. “Like I don’t already have enough to deal with. Adding fuel to the rumor mill isn’t high on my list of priorities right now.”

John stood up from the captain’s chair with no hesitation; he always disliked sitting in it anyway. He faced Roland. “Continue monitoring the situation. If Grant or the Didact figure anything out, let me know.”

“Understood, sir.”

He turned around to face Cortana. She was already walking to the small conference room. He followed her, wondering what, if anything, she had come up with to thwart this growing infection.

The doors barely had time to close behind him before she spun around and pinned him with a look. It was then that he noticed her slightly glassy eyes.

She had been infected.

He had no way of knowing if this infection would affect her the way it had the others; there was so much they didn’t know about the way human-AI hybrids worked. 

His concern ebbed away slightly when she spoke; her voice was smooth and focused as it normally was.

“So, I tried to access to Domain. I found the file that the Librarian was talking about and created an antidote based on the information.” She crossed her arms. “It didn’t work.”

He frowned slightly. “Do you have any other ideas?”

She let out a sigh. “Until I find out what the mutation is, it’s kind of like looking for a needle in a haystack. It would help if the Librarian was able to assist. I don’t know if the Didact told you--”

“He did.”

She let out a frustrated laugh. “Then you know how I’m on my own.”

“Roland is doing the best he can.”

“Roland can barely keep the Infinity’s systems from becoming overwhelmed with the information pouring in from the Domain,” Cortana countered. “If I was still an AI...”

John waited for her to finish her sentence, but all she did was stare at him blankly for several seconds. The uneasy feeling returned. “If you were still an AI...”

She shook her head. “I’m sorry, it’s getting hard to ignore the side effects.” She sat on the edge of the table. “I’m infected, you know.”

He nodded. “How long?”

“An hour. Maybe two. I lost track of time before Thorne infected me.” She looked at him, tilting her head slightly. “How about you? Are you alright?”

He was covered in his armor from head to toe. “I’m fine.”

“Of course you are.” She stared at him again. John shifted awkwardly. He wasn’t accustomed at her openly studying him. 

“Cortana, the vaccine?”

She nodded and blinked slowly, as if trying to clear her mind. “Yes. I should be working on a vaccine and I keep getting distracted.” She looked at him accusingly. “By you.”

His brows furrowed. “I haven’t contacted you since the Didact took the Librarian down to the medbay.”

“Up here.” She tapped her temple. “You can’t blame a girl for that, can you?”

A blush heated his cheeks. “Cortana--”

“I told myself that I would come down here, get one good look at your face and that would be enough to get me through this.” She flashed him a hopeful smile. “So what do you say, Chief?”

“No.”

She didn’t seem the slightest bit bothered by his quick answer. “I thought you might say that.” 

She moved so that she could sit completely on the tabletop. She crossed her legs, reminding him of the familiar position she had taken with she had been in her avatar form. “Have you ever been drunk, John?”

“You know I haven’t.”

“It’s strange...The overwhelming urge to be out of control. To forget all responsibilities and focus on the thing you want the most.” She leaned towards him, putting a hand on his shoulder. “I think we both know what that is.”

He would not allow himself to be affected by her words; it was the infection talking, he reminded himself. He needed to get her focused again. “Cortana, you need to work on finding a cure. The entire crew needs you.” He took her hands in his own gloved ones, pulling them off him and into her lap. “I need you.”

“And I need you.” She moved to her knees, making her eye-level with him. “What’s the harm in taking off your helmet for a minute? I saw your without it all the time on the Cairo station.”

But that was different. Then, Cortana had been unattainable. Cortana had been a companion. There hadn’t been this unyielding pull to want to draw herself to him, like there had been ever since he had woken up on the Dawn.

Still, he knew that her stubbornness rivaled his own. If he conceded to her demand, perhaps she would go back to trying to find a cure. “Then, you’ll work on the vaccine.”

“I promise.” She leaned forward. The movement was sloppy. “And like you, I know how to keep them.”

Going against his better judgment, John pulled away slightly. He took off his helmet and set it on the table next to where Cortana was.

It took a half-second for him to question his actions. Why had he agreed to her demand in the first place? And why was he acting as if he was standing in front of her, completely exposed? 

“You are as attractive as I remembered.” She winked. 

“Cortana...” 

She giggled. “And bashful too. Who knew the stolid John had the ability to blush?” She sat back on her legs and appraised him. “You should pick up on the other Spartans’ habits and not wear your helmet so much.” She scrunched up her nose. “It flattens your hair too much.”

Then, she raised her hand to him. John moved to intercept her, but she was too close and her skin made contact with him as she ruffled her hair.

He was infected.

He gently grabbed her wrist and pulled it away from him. Her eyes widened slightly as her brain caught up with what she had done. “John, I am so sorry.”

He had to remain calm; there was nothing he could do about himself now. “The vaccine?”

Her head bobbed up and down, but she made no move to get off the table. Her eyes roamed his face; John wondered what she was looking for before they stopped on his lips.

It was time for her to keep her end of the deal, John decided.

“I kept my end of the promise.” He moved to grab his helmet from the table.

“I’m pretty sure I mentioned something about a kiss too.” She crossed her arms and looked at him expectantly.

A tingle of something settled in John’s gut and for a moment he wondered if the infection spread more quickly to him than the rest of the crew. He forced himself to ignore the unwelcome feeling. He was renowned for his self-control. 

But, even man has his limits.

And he was starting to accept the Cortana was his.

“Cortana--” Did his voice sound as desperate as he felt? “--not now.”

Her lower lip popped out in a pout. “If not now, when? We both know a chance like this won’t happen again. We’re both too committed to the UNSC for our own good.” She leaned forward and traced the outer edge of his chest plate. 

Where was that self-control?

He closed his eyes and forced himself not to think of request Cortana was asking of him. He thought of Lasky and the Infinity and the rest of her crew. “If you don’t find a cure, our commitment to the UNSC won’t matter.” She leaned forward, just inches from his lips. “Cortana, please...”

At the last possible moment, she turned her head slightly. Her lips grazed his cheek as she moved close to his ear. “I’ll go, if you promise me something.”

Suddenly, swallowing became more difficult for the Spartan. “Promise what?”

She pulled away and raised an eyebrow. "I get to collect on that kiss when this is all over."

Oh.

He cleared his throat. “I’m not sure--”

She put her hand on his chest. Despite the layers that separated them, he was sure he could feel the heat coming from her. “Then I’ll be sure for the both of us.” A smile passed over her lips. “Think of it like getting a new set of orders.”

In that moment, John didn’t want to think about the UNSC. At all. 

But, he was in charge of the ship and that meant everything, including his own personal feelings, needed to be put in their proper place. 

He needed Cortana to start working on the vaccine again. So, being the dedicated soldier he was -- and having nothing to do with the pull of the woman in front of him, John nodded.

“I promise.” 

In the back of his mind, a voice that sounded a lot like himself was telling him that he should have never agreed to her demand, but with Cortana looking at him with a desperately hopeful gaze, he found it difficult to pay the voice any heed.

She grinned widely and hopped off the table. He reached behind her, forcing himself to ignore how much of him wanted her to do nothing more than stay here with him, and grabbed his helmet. He slipped it over his head and followed her out of the room to the bridge.

As she was about to walk away, she suddenly spun around and faced him. “Don’t think I’m going to let you out of your promise, John.” She stood up on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down to her height. Then, she placed a soft kiss on his visor. 

“I’ll keep you posted on my progress, Chief.” Then, she turned around and left.

John stood there for a moment, reaching up to where she had given him a not-quite-proper kiss. It was Roland who broke the silence.

“That must have been some conversation, eh, Chief?”


End file.
